Path: sn.no!Norway.EU.net!uninett.no!news.maxwell.syr.edu!howland.erols.net!panix!news.panix.com!lepton
From: lepton@panix.com (Mike O'Connor)
Newsgroups: alt.religion.scientology,comp.org.eff.talk,alt.censorship
Subject: Re: Internet Ventures, Inc. (Response)
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 1997 11:34:51 -0500
Organization: Leptonic Systems Inc.
Lines: 216
Distribution: inet
Message-ID:
References: <344cca1d.8671929@news.supernews.com> <344f85c8.61309398@news.calstate.edu> <34513C75.312B433B@tidepool.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: lepton.dialup.access.net
X-Newsreader: MT-NewsWatcher 2.3.5
X-Face: x@sw:_m%GlG!VSHM~|S|]`LK(xBA$#5s2{$gobKuq_d1j:Es@Na=%r)X?:#CL
$GYWrJ4x"c}vzrQs9;*Sc|xK!mvUoQ\8pgbQJv6wL>E%^Y%X:'nE1z(\&5SZvf*VQ^dT
pJ5gA8}T&Yy"%'v4!$daDo?|~W~4HJr,?-iMbh:($KL%MechQ{VK8B]xNt"/i,bh1@Bf
f[s{E%Kp-Iw96F.#4\G*|`
Xref: sn.no alt.religion.scientology:387949 comp.org.eff.talk:73818 alt.censorship:171340
I'm a computer professional who has been involved with various online
systems since 1976. I've never been into Scientology. I stumbled upon this
group and saw some very interesting activity. Since then I have read
virtually every non-spam message posted here in the last two and a half
years, both pro and con. I've become a participant here, and a critic of
what has been termed "the thriving cult of greed and power" (TIME magazine
1991 cover story.) I've never met any of the regulars here, and by design
I've not had any significant conversations with anyone about the cult,
except in public view.
Many of the responses you've gotten already say things that I agree with,
so I'd like to use my time to talk a little about the cult itself, why
they might be doing what they do, and perhaps why they duped you into
taking the action you did. Basically, it is their sacred duty to do this.
It's part of the religious teaching in the cult's own sacred scripture.
The cult is _really_ upset about the Internet in general and this group in
particular. The cult does not tell its members the true, core beliefs on
day one. You are not ready to know the secret until you are ready. It
takes a lot of time, and tens of thousands of dollars in payments until
you get to the point of learning that Scientology is actually a UFO cult.
The beliefs include the fact that YOU ARE NOT AN EARTHLING but are an
alien soul who was kidnapped from your home planet by the evil overlord
XENU and taken here in spaceships; that you were then subjected to Xenu's
ALIEN MIND IMPLANT that filled you with false memories; that you are
actually a godlike creature with powers to control Matter, Energy, Space
and Time, but the implant makes you think you are mortal and have to die
etc.; that there are many other alien souls, also deluded by implants,
inside you, controlling you; that expensive cult exorcism rites are the
only road to Total Freedom from this plight; and that if you learn these
secrets before you are prepared spiritually, you can die.
How do I know these secret beliefs? I read all about them on the Internet!
In the cult view, this information going public is a disaster of galactic
proportions. It could lead to the ruin of the planet. In my belief, it
could lead to the ruin of a global scam. The cult has a problem with those
who think this sort of thing.
The problem must be handled, and the sacred scripture says what to do.
Find WHO has caused this damage and GET THEM.
A series of anonymous posts from an entity called SCAMIZDAT contained many
secret beliefs and a load of confidential documents. Whoever made those
posts is the biggest problem. I was just a lurker at that point but I saw
those posts, they kept coming and coming, about a dozen in all, loaded
with damaging documents. Many critics taunted the cult after each post.
Why can't you stop SCAMIZDAT from degrading you? And so on. Grady Ward
chimed in like the rest, and he was particvularly good at it. In fact,
take a look at some of the replies he has made to recent posts of cult
documents. They are almost exactly like the ones he posted in reply to
SCAMIZDAT. Those posts ticked off the cult.
SCAMIZDAT was anonymous. But Grady and some others would taunt after every
one of those posts. Oh, so OPERATING THETAN PART III was posted, I bet
you'll be really upset to see shows up
in the next issue! That type of thing. It was easy to predict what
SCAMIZDAT would post next because there was a pattern to it, and there was
always speculation as to what would turn up next.
OK. They had no clue as to the identity of SCAMIZDAT, but had tremendous
pressure to produce, so they pick a suspect - loudmouth Grady Ward. Now,
what to do about it? Well, the cult sacred scripture isn't mostly about
Xenu. The cult sacred scripture says at length what to do with an
attacker, an enemy, a "suppressive person". Let's look at a few short
excerpts:
++++++++++++ SACRED CULT SCRIPTURE +++++++++++++
PENALTIES FOR LOWER CONDITIONS
[...]
ENEMY SP [suppressive person] Order. Fair game. May be deprived of
property or injured by any means by any Scientologist without any
discipline of the Scientologist. May be tricked, sued or lied to or
destroyed.
-- L. Ron Hubbard
HCOPL 18 October 1967 Issue IV
++++++++++++ SACRED CULT SCRIPTURE +++++++++++++
A Suppressive person becomes "fair game."
By FAIR GAME is meant, may not be further protected by the codes and
disciplines of Scientology or the rights of a Scientologist ... they
cannot be granted the rights and beingness ordinarily accorded rational
beings and so place themselves beyond any consideration for their feelings
or well being.
The homes, property, places and abodes of persons who have been active in
attempting to suppress Scientology or Scientologists are all beyond any
protection of Scientology Ethics.
-- L. Ron Hubbard
HCOPL 25 December 1965
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Many people over the years have been declared "Fair Game," and the policy
continues to this day even though, according to other documents, they
stopped using the actual term "Fair Game" because it causes bad public
relations.
You've already seen other scriptural instructions which say to make it
rough on attackers all the way, to always attack and never defend, to turn
the attack back around by inviting an investigation of the attacker, and
to hire people to investigate the attacker, looking for crimes.
Suppressive people always have crimes. "Find or manufacture enough threat"
against them to get them to give up, or "sue for peace" as they say:
++++++++++++ SACRED CULT SCRIPTURE +++++++++++++
The purpose of a lawsuit is to harass and discourage rather than to
win.... Don't ever defend. Always attack. Find or manufacture enough
threat against them to cause them to sue for peace. Originate a black PR
campaign to destroy the person's repute and to discredit them so
thoroughly they will be ostracized. Be alert to sue for slander at the
slightest chance so as to discourage the public presses from mentioning
Scientology.
It is my specific intention that by the use of professional PR (black PR)
tactics any opposition not only be dulled but permanently iradicated.
-- L. Ron Hubbard
HCOPL 30 may 1974
++++++++++++ SACRED CULT SCRIPTURE +++++++++++++
The law can be used very easily to harass, and enough harassment on
somebody who is simply on the thin edge anyway, will knowing that he is
not authorized, will generally be sufficient to cause his professional
decease. If possible, of course, ruin him utterly.
-- L. Ron Hubbard
"A Manual on the Dissemination of Material" (1955)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The cult has taken these sacred instructions to heart and aimed them at
Grady Ward, among others. They filed a lawsuit that says Grady Ward is
SCAMIZDAT. It doesn't matter that on the merits they will lose because of
a lack of evidence. The purpose is to harass and discourage, not to win.
Lawsuits are expensive and the cult has bankrupted many critics in this
manner. The Ward case is over a year old and they don't seem even close to
getting started talking about the merits. The cult is EXPERT at this.
Blizzards of paper have come through the case. The purpose is to harass,
not to win.
They snipe here, they snipe there. They send private investigators to the
home, they commit fraud against his mother, they trick her, they trick his
bank into giving out confidential information, and they trick his Internet
supplier into cutting off his account. It has happened before, it happened
here. They are just following sacred scripture.
They seem to have lied to you, tricked you. You think the cult cares about
you, about the Internet, about free speech? Get Grady Ward. Ruin him
utterly. That is a sacred duty. Lying to you, big deal. The Ten
Commandments are part of the ALIEN MIND IMPLANT. The cult has its own
rules, its own creed. The creed says never to fear hurting another in a
just cause. And what could be more just than getting Grady Ward, the
SCAMIZDAT ruining their religion? If they have to trick you, lie to you in
order to control you, that is just fine.
++++++++++++ SACRED CULT SCRIPTURE +++++++++++++
THE ONLY WAY YOU CAN CONTROL PEOPLE IS TO LIE TO THEM. You can write that
down in your book in great big letters. [...] [An] individual is lying to
you because he is trying to control you - because if they give you enough
misinformation they will pull you down the tone scale so that they can
control you.
-- L. Ron Hubbard
Technique 88
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grady Ward's critical, scatalogical messages are not pornographic. They
are not sexual. They have a specific purpose. I believe Ward knows that
his lawsuit is about copyright, not content. But the cult gets flustered
over these messages and brings them into court to talk about their
content. It may help to show the Judge that the whole cult argument is
about content, not copyright. And, the Judge should not consider these
messages, since he is only supposed to rule on copyright and the matter of
Fair Use.
Grady Ward's speech is the exact kind of speech which is meant to be
protected. Offensive and political, and with a legitimate purpose. The
Supreme Court says:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
But the fact that society may find speech offensive is not a sufficient
reason for suppressing it. Indeed, if it is the speaker's opinion that
gives offense, that consequence is a reason for according it
constitutional protection. For it is a central tenet of the First
Amendment that the government must remain neutral in the marketplace of
[438 U.S. 726, 746] ideas.
-- U.S. Supreme Court
FCC v. PACIFICA FOUNDATION, 438 U.S. 726 (1978)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ISPs should remain neutral in the marketplace of ideas too.
These are merely my own opinions, but I hope they will help to give some
context to the situation in which the cult has placed you. Do you think
the quotes I've included here are fair? I do, but if the cult decides to
target me, it won't matter much if I'm technically in the right. I'm the
type of person the Ward harrassment is meant to discourage. Part of the
scheme is to make those like me afraid that they will come after my ISP,
my mother, my bank, whatever, if I'm uppity. "Unexpected attacks in the
rear of the enemy's front ranks work best" says the sacred scripture. It
can be dangerous to post here. But intelligent criticism, even of sacred
scripture, MUST be permitted. -Mike [p/m]